Shriners Hospital: A Home For Healing Children

why do kids live at shriners hospital

Shriners Hospitals for Children, commonly known as Shriners Children's, is a network of non-profit children's hospitals and paediatric medical facilities across North America. The first Shriners Hospital opened in 1922 to help children with polio and provide orthopaedic care. Today, Shriners Children's provides a range of services, including orthopaedic, spine, burn, and neurological care, as well as innovative research and teaching programs for medical professionals. The hospitals are owned and operated by Shriners International, a Freemasonry-related organisation, and care is provided to children regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status.

Characteristics Values
Type of organisation Non-profit children's hospitals and pediatric medical facilities
Year established 1922
Founder Shriners, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
Headquarters Tampa, Florida
Patient age group Up to 18 years old, sometimes extended to 21
Specialities Orthopaedics, spinal cord injuries, burns, cleft lip and palate, cerebral palsy, neurological conditions, sports medicine
Number of patient visits in 2021 440,000
Assets in 2023 Over $10 billion

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Specialised medical care

Shriners Children's, formerly known as Shriners Hospitals for Children, is a network of non-profit children's hospitals and paediatric medical facilities across North America. The hospitals are owned and operated by Shriners International, a Freemasonry-related organisation. The first Shriners Hospital opened in 1922 to help children with polio and provide orthopaedic care. Today, Shriners Children's provides specialised medical care to children with a range of conditions, including:

  • Orthopaedic conditions, such as clubfoot, hip disorders, limb deficiencies and deformities, scoliosis, and orthopedic difficulties related to cerebral palsy and other neuromuscular conditions.
  • Burns, with three hospitals specialising in acute and rehabilitative burn care and a fourth hospital offering treatment in all four care disciplines, including burns.
  • Spinal cord injuries, with three hospitals providing developmentally appropriate rehabilitation that includes adventure and adapted sports programs, activity-based rehabilitation, aquatherapy, and animal-assisted therapy.
  • Other neurological conditions that affect ambulation and movement, such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida (myelomeningocele), and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Shriners Children's also conducts innovative research and offers outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. They have relationships with several medical teaching facilities and are committed to providing superior education and quality care. The organisation strives to discover answers and improve lives through research, with notable areas of research including motion analysis and genomics. In 2022, Shriners Children's corporate research department managed 90 projects across its healthcare system.

Shriners Children's provides care to children regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status, and patients are not required to have any familial affiliation with the Shriners order or Freemasonry. The organisation's primary mission is to help children who need specialised medical care, and they offer a range of services to expand their reach, including telehealth and outreach clinics.

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Orthopaedic conditions

Shriners Hospitals for Children, also known as Shriners Children's, is a network of non-profit children's hospitals and paediatric medical facilities across North America. The hospitals provide care for children with a range of orthopaedic conditions, including:

  • Clubfoot
  • Hip disorders/dysplasia
  • Limb deficiencies/discrepancies/deformities
  • Scoliosis
  • Osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease)
  • Orthopaedic difficulties related to cerebral palsy, spina bifida (myelomeningocele), and other neurological conditions that affect movement and ambulation
  • Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
  • Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM)

The first Shriners Hospital was opened in 1922 to primarily treat children with the after-effects of polio, including orthopaedic issues. Today, orthopaedic conditions continue to be a key focus area for Shriners Hospitals for Children. The hospitals provide comprehensive care for children with these conditions, including surgical and non-surgical treatments, rehabilitation services, and family-centred support.

Shriners Children's Philadelphia and Greenville, for example, have paediatric orthopaedic surgeons who treat conditions like acute flaccid myelitis, which can cause nerve issues and weakness in the lower extremities and upper arm. The Sacramento hospital in the Shriners system is notable for offering treatment in all three of the network's key areas: burns, orthopaedics, and spinal cord injuries. It also has its own orthotics and prosthetics lab and development facilities.

The hospitals' mission extends beyond patient care to include research on orthopaedic conditions and treatments, as well as the education of medical professionals. Shriners Children's works closely with medical teaching facilities to foster an academic environment and provide superior education to future healthcare professionals.

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Burns

Shriners Hospitals for Children, commonly known as Shriners Children's, is a network of non-profit children's hospitals and paediatric medical facilities across North America. The sole criterion for admission is the determination by a surgeon that "the child's trouble may be corrected or improved". Shriners Children's treats all levels and types of burns, from small injuries to large burns requiring hospitalisation. This includes flame, chemical, electrical, and radiation burns. They also treat skin conditions such as epidermolysis bullosa and toxic epidermal necrolysis.

The Shriners Hospitals for Children system differs from other not-for-profit hospital models in that care is provided regardless of the patient's ability to pay or insurance status. This model is maintained through voluntary charitable donations. Shriners Children's has been treating burns since the 1960s and is recognised as a leader in the development of improved and innovative treatment techniques. They have been pioneers in paediatric burn treatment and research, contributing to significant advancements in acute and reconstructive burn care. Their multidisciplinary team provides support to patients and their families as they transition back to school and family life.

In the 1960s, Shriners Hospitals for Children opened three hospitals specialising in acute and rehabilitative burn care in Galveston, Texas; Boston, Massachusetts; and Ohio. These were the only hospitals initially established exclusively for the treatment of paediatric burns and related conditions. A fourth centre for paediatric burn care was established in 1997 in Sacramento, California. The Galveston hospital, the first facility dedicated to the care of burned children, remains the cornerstone of this endeavour.

Shriners Children's has a permanent entry into paediatric burn care and is known for its innovative, caring approach to treating burns in children. Their world-renowned burn teams rely on the most up-to-date scientific and clinical research to deliver unparalleled treatment and therapies. They are committed to a wrap-around care approach, providing emotional and psychological support to children and their families to help them heal and function as they did before the injury.

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Spinal injuries

Shriners Hospitals for Children, also known as Shriners Children's, is a network of non-profit children's hospitals and paediatric medical facilities across North America. The hospitals provide care for children with a range of conditions, including spinal cord injuries.

Three Shriners hospitals provide spinal cord injury rehabilitation that is tailored to the needs of children and adolescents. These hospitals offer a range of programs and services to support patients' recovery, including adventure and adapted sports programs, activity-based rehabilitation, aquatherapy, and animal-assisted therapy. The hospitals aim to promote the fullest recovery possible for each patient.

Shriners Children's Philadelphia and Shriners Children's Sacramento are two of the hospitals within the network that specifically treat spinal cord injuries. The Sacramento hospital is unique in that it is the only hospital in the Shriners system to offer all three areas of treatment: burns, orthopaedics, and spinal cord injuries, as well as research. The Philadelphia hospital also treats orthopaedic conditions.

Shriners Hospitals for Children has a long history of providing care for children with spinal cord injuries. The organisation began offering spinal cord injury rehabilitation programs in the early 1980s and has since become a leader in the field, offering innovative treatment techniques and comprehensive care. The hospitals' commitment to research and medical education ensures that they remain at the forefront of spinal cord injury treatment and improve the lives of countless children worldwide.

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Non-profit

Shriners Children's, formerly known as Shriners Hospitals for Children, is a non-profit network of children's hospitals and paediatric medical facilities across North America. The hospitals are owned and operated by Shriners International, a Freemasonry-related organisation. The first Shriners Hospital was opened in 1922 to help children with polio. Today, Shriners Children's provides specialised medical care for children with a range of conditions, including orthopaedic issues, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate. Care is provided in a family-centred environment, regardless of the patient's ability to pay or insurance status.

The healthcare system has adapted to current trends in healthcare, with an increasing emphasis on outpatient care and the introduction of clinics and outpatient centres. Shriners Children's offers a range of services, including telehealth and outreach clinics, to expand its reach and treat more children in more places. The organisation has treated children from various countries and conducts medical outreach clinics outside the US every year.

Shriners Children's is committed to improving the lives of children by providing paediatric specialty care, conducting innovative research, and offering outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. The organisation has a reputation for finding answers and giving families hope. It fosters an academic environment committed to superior education for medical professionals and quality care for all patients. Shriners Children's works closely with medical teaching facilities and maintains relationships with military commands to arrange medical visas and transportation for patients.

The organisation has assets of over $10 billion and is funded by donations from Shriners, corporations, and the general public. Shriners Children's also benefits from charitable events such as the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, a golf tournament, and the Shriners Children's 500, a NASCAR Cup Series race.

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Frequently asked questions

Shriners Hospitals, also known as Shriners Children's, is a network of non-profit children's hospitals and pediatric medical facilities. They provide specialized medical care to children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, among other conditions. Care is provided in a family-centred environment, regardless of the patient's ability to pay or insurance status. While most care is provided on an outpatient basis, some children may require extended stays at the hospital depending on their medical needs.

Shriners Children's is dedicated to helping children who need specialized medical care, regardless of their financial situation or location. They strive to improve lives through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research, and outstanding medical education.

Shriners Hospitals offer a wide range of pediatric orthopedic, spine, burn, and other specialty care. They also provide rehabilitation services, including adventure and adapted sports programs, activity-based rehabilitation, aqua therapy, and animal-assisted therapy.

Any child in need of specialized medical care can receive treatment at Shriners Children's, regardless of whether they have any familial affiliation with the Shriners order or Freemasonry.

Shriners Hospitals are primarily located in North America, with locations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. They also conduct medical outreach clinics outside the U.S. every year to treat children from various countries.

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